T - Starts off with a mix of grapefruit hops and caramel malts with some caramelized sugars and some bitterness. Through the middle, some pine and grassy hops come through with a bit more bitterness and some brown sugar. The finish is a mix of grapefruit and pine hops, some bitterness, sweet caramel malts and brown sugar, and some booze.

such a sweet malty overtone it's hard to not fall in love with this. a mix of hops with the malt profile, and i'm guessing what would be the million pounds of brown sugar that went into this makes this pretty balanced for the most part.. seconds after you take the first sip you get the sweetness of the sugar come at you and a smile appears.

full body with low carbonation makes this a good sipper. you feel the 9.9% abv in the chest as a nice warm feeling (perfect for these cold days) ut you don't really taste it.

i haven't had this one since winter of '09/'10.... almost 2 years. this is one of those instances where i'm glad they took the beer away for a while.. because i't better than i even remember it. for a beer in general, it's a personal favorite.. nothing all that excellent about it, it's just delicious and i'm glad it's back.

It has an good copper color, but seemed to have some haziness about it. There is a large amount of hops, but has an aftertaste of brown sugar. It is a good mix, but not a beer you would want to drink a whole six pack of. This was my first Lagunitas, so I am sure that I will have more.

Poured a slightly hazy, dark red copper with a one finger off white head that fades slowly to a light covering of the top of the glass. Lacing is thin all the way down the glass.

Smells of sweet caramel and citrus hops. Way more hoppy than I was expecting from an ale called "Brown Shugga'." Also hints of vanilla and oak?

Taste is sweet caramel malts, and a perfect balance if hops. Near perfect balance here. Vanilla, raisins, a little lemon peel. Alcohol finds you in the finish but is not overpowering, considering the ABV.

Mouthfeel is good. Good carbonation to bring the flavors together. Slightly oily from the hops. Good thickness.

Drinkablility is also good here. Almost too good for this kinda alcohol content. Light enough to go down quick, but enough body to make you remember not to chuck this one.

T - As expected, malt sweetness dominates on the palate. Dark fruit and brown sugar carry over from the aroma, joined by notes of anise and just a hint of vanilla. Some wood-like characteristics come through as it warms. There's a noticeable alcohol presence as well that actually compliments the sweet malt notes quite well. Despite the age on this beer, there's still just enough hop bitterness to bring some balance to it.

M - Medium-bodied with a lingering tinge of sweetness on the palate. Carbonation does a good job of staying out of the way while keeping the beer from being too rich.

D - Immensely enjoyable. I'm interested to see what sort of a hop profile this beer has when it's fresh, but as it is it's still very flavorful and complex. The alcohol is fairly conspicuous on the palate, and yet it's still very easy to drink.

Pours clear, a deep orange with a sandy 2inch white head, that slowly recedes to a blanket of white and sticks around till the bittersweet end. Some nice spiderweb lacing from top to bottom. Carbonation appears aggressive.

Nose: Hoppy and caramelly. Sweet brown sugar candy.

Taste: Sweet caramelized malts, sugar, citrus. Finishes with the bitter finish fighting with the abundant sweetness. Never quite in balance but never too unbalanced. Dry and slighly cloying but quite enjoyable.

Medium-full mouthfeel, that is syrupy,dry and lingering.

A uniquely flavored brew for sure. I was gonna rate the drinkability lower because of the sweetness and the high abv, but come to think of it, this is one tastey brew that is a little too easy to drink.

S-Strong sweet malts all the way. Classic Lagunitas nose. Lives up to the name so far.

T-Oh my gosh this is good! Thick syrupy sweet barleywine flavor hits you with heady malts, a punch of alcohol. Midpalate is resinous, deep, sweet marachino cherrys marinated in smokey fine bourbon. More than anything, this reminds me of a well made Manhattan. Awesome.

M-Well balanced creamy mouthfeel with balanced carbonation.

D-Very drinkable, which is scary given the ABV. Give me another, and another!

American strong ale? Hmmm...I'm not sure about that. I'd say it drinks like a barleywine and a well balanced and tasty one at that. If I'm not drinking beer, I am partial to Knob Creek Manhattans, and boy, this bowled me over on the first sip. Boozy? A bit, but it really hides the ABV. A very nice surprise from a brewery that is good at giving pleasant ones.

A- Brown Shugga' pours a remarkably clear amber color with a sticky head of off-white, almost tan-colored foam that settles to a frothy, silky cap that sticks around for the duration of my review. Each sip leaves a few drapes of lacing behind.

T- The sweetness of the smell comes through in the taste. All the sugary and caramely notes of the aroma are present along with a good amount of hop bitterness -- pine and tropical fruits -- that again provides the perfect counterbalance. The finish is mildly dry and a touch watery as it leaves only a trace of hop flavor and passion fruit lingering on the back of the palate. The big alcohol is practically buried within the flavor profile. Great stuff.

M- A full-bodied and slightly viscous feel. Oily and slick with a moderate amount of carbonation.

D- I blasted through a 12oz bottle of this nectar. The massively sweet character of this beer is exceptionally balanced by hops, and the nearly 10% ABV is really well-hidden. This is one of my new favorites from Lagunitas.

L - This beer pours a clear dark amber with a creamy white head and good lace.
S - Hints of citrus and pine. Also sweet caramel and brown sugar.
T - This is a unique beer. It starts off hoppy with grapefruit, pine, and lemon notes. After a few sips it gradually turns sweeter and sweeter. The strong hop front seems to lessen and a malty sweet brown sugar taste takes over.
F - This maybe a little on the thin side. It does have a nice dry finish.
O - This is an excellent amber ale. I've always been a fan of this beer. But, I like sweeter beers.

Copper color with a nice fluffly white head. Aroma is has a nice sweet malt with a bit of hops and alcohol. Flavor is with brown sugar dominance with a bit of molasses and some citrus tones. Alcohol is very noticeable after finishing only one. There is a definite presentation of malt and has a sweet finish.

WOW, i think i;m still buzzed from last night, I go to school in delaware ohio and i had this powerhouse brew on tap at 1808 american bistro where they have something like 27 beers on tap.

This beer is delicious, its the perfect beer to have when you want a good beer...and nothing else, a burger with this beer and your ready to not move. Not a salad beer either, do your self a favor get a friend go to a bar with this on tap order your friend two bud lights pay for them you have a few of these and let him drive home. DO not let him taste it or you'll loose your driver.

Enough sweetness in one bottle to turn New York into a happy place (just kidding, love NYC).

That's the good and bad. Really enjoy the toasted/burnt malt or whatever is giving this brew that flavor. Kind of like slightly burning your toast then applying a thick layer of brown sugar. After your tongue copes with that first wave of burnt brown sugarness, a nice, not overly bitter, sensation of hops comes in. Seriously high alcohol content is not overly present, but definitely noticeable. Overall, A Wonderful Beer.

The bad: not shocking with a high sugar beer, the 9.99 ABV. It seems quite a bit higher. I can feel the effects from a 12 oz bottle. Two 20 oz tap pours is enough has given me a medium strong buzz, leading to a slight next morning headache. Advise caution when consuming Brown Shugga.

Secondly, they only make it in October, although they obviously started bottling more in 2010 because Brown Shugga went from 'hard to find' in 2009 to being stocked in the local chain supermarket.

Pretty, dark brown-amber color, medium whitish-brown head. Lacing medium, lasting a minute or two. Scent rises from the glass like lava from a volcano, a sensation only beaten by very, very hopsy beers.

Poured into a straight pint glass. Minimal head leaves light but sticky lacing. A very pretty reddish-brown. Sweet aroma with nice hop touches. Flavor matches aroma closely. Smoothly sweet at the front with a balancing hop tang at the finish. Faint alcohol taste, but not in a bothersome way. Body is just a little lighter than full. Very drinkable, but this beer will sneak up on you. Because it's smooth, sweet and easy to drink you might not notice it preparing to pop you. Very enjoyable, becoming a yearly favorite.

Into a tulip glass on 3.30.11 this settles a beautiful, very clear cherry wood hued red color under a thin but nicely sustained head. The aroma is much milder than I'd have expected but otherwise an appealing one with notes of toasted sugar, light cherry, and moderate citrus hop. Mouthfeel and taste comes off very similar to a barleywine with a big complex taste. Bright, sweet, but earthy dark fruit, perhaps cherry, dominates the palate with somewhat of a spirit-like warming akin to, again, a barleywine. Finish is dry and sweet. Huge flavor delivered smoothly...Very nice.

First review here. So here goes:
Look: Very nice head with great lacing all the way to the last sip
Smell: Smells a lot like a Lagunitas beer, and that is a good thing (to me at least)
Taste: Different than most I've had but tasty. Good hop snap to it
Feel : Pretty smooth is the best way I can explain this
Overall: Wow. Really like this beer. So impressed with the drinkability at this abv

taste: Caramel, citrus from the hops, some brown sugar mixed with a lightly malty/smokey backbone that balances it out nicely. Very well balanced with a slight hint of alcohol. I think I prefer this over SUCKS. I wish I had a bottle to make a full side by side comparison.

Mouthfeel: slick, sticky mouthfeel but doesn't linger for too long.

Overall: I'm highly pleased with this and looking forward to breaking out the next bottle. Another solid brew from Lagunitas.

The beer poured an orangish-brown with very little head into a chalice. I detected alcoholic esters with a slight citrusy hop aroma. The taste was an enormous explosion of hop flavor and alcoholic esters, blending nicely with a distinct citrusy sweetness. The initial taste dissipated into a long-lasting hop bitterness. A very tasty and drinkable beer - it is definitely one of my favorites from Lagunitas. Nice carbonation and lacing too.

Ive been very fond of the Lagunitas brew's that I've had so far, so when I saw the brown shugga I had to try it.

Pours a ruddy copper color with a fluffy tan head. It leaves little lacing. Smells like spicy hops and a bit of sweet malt. Feels good on the way down, refreshing and easy drinking. I think this is one dangerous beer. 9.9% alcohol and goes down fast and easy.

Smell: Intense, complex hop character (pine, floral, and citrus) layers over everything and leans this towards an IPA, but there is more than enough sweet brown sugar, dark caramel, toffee, light ripe fruit, red grape to stand up to it. Reminiscent of a great IPA with a solid malt backbone. Tons of intensity and well rounded. A little boozy and slightly metallic at it warms.

Taste: An sweet explosion of syrupy fruit, dark caramel, piney and floral hops. Slick, oily, and irresistible. Followed by a slow, paced crescendo of bitterness that abolishes the prior flavors but still feels restrained and is far from astringent. Tons of citrus/lemon peel and oils with a solid resiny snap. Hides the 10% ABV alcohol very well, but I think it helps to ever so slightly dry the beer out here and add a nice counter-point the sweetness up front. Finish is slightly sweet, reminiscent of dark red fruits and maple syrup, with plenty of complex, oily hop character and a touch of pepper. One of those syrupy, lip-smacking beers.

Notes: Tremendous. Lagunitas really shines on this one, but it's a heavy, thick brew. Modulates the sweet-bitter axis well, has great hop and malt flavors and excellent mouthfeel. What more can you ask for?
cellent mouthfeel. What more can you ask for?

O- A freak, a deformity brought on to us, when a recipe went wrong. The flacholent musk from this beast is offensive, the obscene flavor is out right blasphemy. This autrosity. I will hide it from the world, for they will never understand, and love it as my own, and drink this abomination, until i cannot stand.